The present invention relates generally to electronics cooling, and more particularly to air cooling for a fan motor controller.
Fans are commonly used to dissipate heat from electronic components, thereby avoiding component failure and extending component lifetimes. Some electronic components in aircraft, including motor controllers, are commonly located in motor controller housings mounted on fan housings. Electronics installed in these motor controller housings are conventionally cooled with airflow circulated by the nearby fan. Some such cooling systems divert relatively cool air from a region of the fan duct downstream of the fan, and pass this air through the housing before releasing it into the environment at a vent in the housing. Other conventional cooling systems take in air from the environment for cooling by means of an outlet in the casing, and draw this air through the housing by means of an air passage from the housing to a region of the fan duct immediately upstream of the fan. In aircraft, the fan which provides cooling airflow may be a part of an air management system. The amount of air utilized for cooling is typically small compared to the total airflow volume of the fan—usually on the order of 2%—and thus does not disrupt normal fan functions, such as cabin or lavatory air circulation or for electronics bay cooling.
Conventional fan motor controller assemblies comprise a box-like fan motor controller housing with a flat base mounted to an adjacent cylindrical fan duct via an intervening thermal interface which adds to the cost and weight of the total assembly. In addition, many fan motor controller housings include machined fins arranged near high-heat components to increase heat dissipation surface area. These fins also increase the cost and weight of the total assembly.
It is generally desirable that the spatial footprint of fan motor controller hardware be as small as possible. Any increase to the packing density of heat generating electronics, however, necessitates corresponding improvements to heat dissipation, to avoid excessive component degradation. There exists, therefore, a need for fan motor controller housings capable of increased cooling at lower cost and weight.